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Northumberland Youth Advisory Council
The Northumberland Youth Advisory Council is a government-related youth voice program in Northumberland. About Visit the NYAC website at www.northumberlandyac.ca http://www.northumberlandyac.ca. The Northumberland Youth Advisory Council is committed to improving social economic opportunities for young people in Northumberland. Goals include empowering and connecting young people through the creation of a Youth Council as an advisory voice to municipal government; to engage and retain youth as part of a sustainable youth strategy for Northumberland; to create an information forum that actively communicates and promotes opportunities for youth in business, politics and culture. Objectives include: *Provide a legitimate voice for youth in Northumberland County; *Provide a youth perspective on municipal and county-wide issues to be considered by Mayors and their Councils, employment and business development agencies as well asrecreation departments and related services as they carry out their responsibilities; *Address youth employment retention by making youth more involved in the economichealth of their community; *Address youth recreational and social activities by providing youth with a greatervoice and input into the activities that they want to see implemented; Background This council evolved from the hard work of many local organizations and individuals throughout our county. Based on reports such as the Youth Joint Task Force, Chris Berrigan’s Secondary School Report and the Andrew Redden Report, the NYAC has just completed its first year with highly successful projects such as our very own scholarship and volunteer youth day. A Steering Committee was created in late 2004, which consisted of staff from the County of Northumberland such as Hamilton Township Mayor Forrest Rowden, Social Services Director Carl Ross, Employment Management Services Ellen Armstrong, and Executive Director of the Northumberland Manufactures Association Paula Johnston. From the Community Futures Development Corporation, Wendy Curtis and John Haden as well as the Councils current Coordinator, Jamie Simmons from Nbiz. From the community at large are Chris Berrigan and Peter Cleary, both directors on the Northumberland United Way’s Board, as well as involved youth such as Grant Dingwall and Mary Hoffman. Andrew Redden, who wrote the aforementioned report, also served as a consultant to the project. In January of 2005, the steering committee approached Northumberland County Council with the idea of a youth council. That year, we received $30,000 for the initial pilot project. Now, in its second funded year, the Northumberland Youth Advisory Council received an additional $35,000 in program funds. Also, the council has received grants to support its projects, with $2500 coming from the Ontario Millennium Foundation. This council attains to empower and connect young people as an advisory voice to government, while also engaging and retaining youth as part of a sustainable youth strategy for our county. Furthermore, it is in our interests to create an information forum that actively communicates and promotes opportunities for youth in business, politics and culture. The decisions made by the NYAC are made all by youth between the ages of 14 to 24, making it the first ever fully funded youth council in Northumberland County’s history. Membership The membership is provided through a youth representative being forwarded by the Municipality of Brighton, Municipality of Trent Hills, Town of Cobourg, Municipality of Port Hope, Township of Cramahe, Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, Township of Hamilton, Campbellford District High School, Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East , Cobourg Collegiate Institute West, and others. The General Membership is a non-appointed position and is open to all youth ages 14 to 24 in Northumberland County. Its members will assist the Directors in addressing those issues that impact youth. Past activities On October 4 2006, Northumberland Youth Advisory Council held a Youth Opportunities Expo to showcase job and volun-teer opportunities for youth in Northumberland County. Over 45 exhibiters attended as well as four high schools sending hundreds of students each. The NYAC has a yearly Merit Scholarship that it gives out. Category:Youth